Trouble Just Finds Me
by Mysticalera
Summary: Young Kitsune Aiko is an exceptional Genin from Sunagakure with well developed skills with a bright future, but what happens when she enters the Chunin Exams and befriends some of the Rookie 9? Would she turn on her new friends and innocent people for her village, or would she end up betraying her village to do the right thing? Also, what happens after a haunting secret gets out?
1. Chapter 1

_**~Author's Note~ ** _I'm new at this... and quite honestly would love to get some pointers on my mistakes and have feedback to go from there. Also, should I upload longer chapters? I'll put up Chapter 2 next week. Thank you for reading!

CHAPTER 1

Hi. I'm Kitsune Aiko, a Genin from Sunagakure! I have short white hair with bangs that get into my eyes, and dark, royal blue eyes and I wear blue and black Kimono tops, plain black shorts, and sometimes a whitish gray overcoat. I'm trained by a Special Junín called Wishina Eri, a woman that specializes in Storm Release (which is rare in Suna and considered a very powerful thing), with two other girls my age named Riku Hayashi and Haruka Ki. Riku and Haruka are Earth Style users, but Riku can sense chakra levels as well, and I am working on Lightning and Water Style Jutsu as a Genin, a rare thing in my village again (and notably good, since I already have two chakra natures as just a Genin).

Well, except for my father, who doesn't really, eh, like me (I guess I can say it like that… you'll find out later). As for my friends, I have a few; there was Riku and Haruka naturally, but also Yuuna Itomi, a girl that was called a genius and had Earth Style chakra, and Kankuro and Temari of the Sand Siblings (Gaara is scary to me… his eyes just have so much hatred when he looks at me. I don't know if I did something or it's just how he looks at everyone, but I get chills every time. And it isn't just because he has the One Tailed beast inside). At first I thought all the Sand Siblings were really scary, but as time went by and I was forced to interact with them Kankuro and I would start to talk and then meet up daily. It seemed to bug him when he was around younger people, but he always made an exception with me, even though I was 2 years younger than him. Haruka and Riku would spy on us almost daily, annoying me and making Kankuro laugh at my 'funny reaction', and Wishina would look on as we bickered about it later and say, "I'm glad you're having fun as Genins- it won't last long." I'd always stop and see a stormy look in her eyes, making me get an uneasy feeling, but I never knew about what a Shinobi's life brought or the tension between the countries so I would shake off the look after a while and go back to the normal life.

After a while, Kankuro and I started to get lunch together every day at a little restaurant, sometimes staying there and sometimes taking it to go and eating it as we walked around. We were two peas in a pod, unable to be separated, the best of friends.

My training sessions were always right before I met up with him and his after, so if the session lasted longer than usual we'd always have less time.

One day the training period took a whole 30 minutes longer than usual because of upcoming Chunin exams that we would be entering, so when it was over I split immediately and ran to the little store to see Kankuro sitting down at the usual table with some rice balls sitting in a plate, untouched, and his hat off. He was twiddling something around in his hand, his fingers working delicately on the item. I sat down on the other side of the table and took a deep breath, trying to regain level breathing and thinking about what I could possibly say; it was my 3rd day _in a row_ to be late. He looked up, his brown eyes twinkling and his paint nicely done, making him look even more mischievous. I set my face apologetically as I breathed hard.

"Sorry, Wishina-Sensei made us practice our Taijutsu…" I breathed, and Kankuro just looked at me with a blank expression. I shrank down slightly, feeling bad. "I'm really sorry…" I whispered, and let my eyes go to the table._ Taijutsu… ugh, I hate Taijutsu. Why couldn't we just do it tomorrow? _Suddenly he burst out laughing, making me look up, puzzled. "Eh-"

"Your face was hilarious! I don't care, Kitsune! You were so serious!" He breathed out in between laughs, and let his head fall in his arms as he laughed harder. I crossed my arms and glared at him, and when he looked up he paused and burst out laughing again. _I should have known… so typical of him. _"Aw, is Kitsune-Chan pouting?" Kankuro asked as his laughing subsided, making a pouty face and sticking his lower lip out. I glared at him harder, annoyed, and he laughed again, his eyes twinkling. I looked away, embarrassed. "You didn't need to apologize. We've been over this before Kitsune- when you're late, don't be sorry; you couldn't help it! Besides, you need to be less apologetic."

"Well, sor-" I stopped myself and sighed, closing my eyes. "I mean- whatever."

"Now we're talking," Kankuro said, smiling, and I rolled my eyes and took a rice ball and bit into it, still annoyed. Kankuro took one of his own and ate it, still smiling.

"So, what is that thing you were working on?" I asked, and Kankuro glanced at the now abandoned item. It was made of wood and had little holes in it, carved smoothly with a willowy curve.

"It's part of a renovation for Crow; I'm going to get prepared for the Chunin Exams! I want my puppets to be perfect for the battlefield!" I rolled my eyes and finished my rice ball and continued on to the next one.

"I'm going to enter the Chunin Exams too. Hopefully we won't have to fight!" Kankuro let his eyes fall, his smile fading slightly.

"Yeah… I heard the second and third rounds are where you have to fight each other from what I've heard from eavesdropping. The second is a survival challenge held in a place designated for the exams, and the third is in an arena. My dad says we've lost some Genins in those rounds…" I swallowed the suddenly flavorless bite with difficulty and lowered my rice ball, not as hungry as I was before.

Something in my gut told me the Chunin Exams aren't going to turn out nice this year. I thought it was anxiety at first, but it settled deep into my stomach and stayed there, doubling in size when I thought about the exams. Something is going to happen… was it because Gaara was going to enter? Why are they even letting him enter, anyways? I didn't like the thought one bit, and not just for my own safety; what about everyone else?

Kankuro seemed to see my actions and sighed. "Hey, nothing like that is going to happen this time!" I bit my lip, the familiar fear welling up inside me I get when I think about the exams.

"Kankuro, you don't know that'll be the case… anything can happen to our friends, you… me," I accidentally let the last word come out choked and swallowed hard, not looking up at Kankuro.

"Kitsune, if anyone comes close to harming an inch of your skin I will personally rip them to shreds. You have my word! I swear, you will survive these exams with flying colors and become a Chunin easily!" I reluctantly plopped the rest of my rice ball into my mouth and swallowed, resisting the urge to not finish eating it, and got up. I kept my gaze down, not looking at Kankuro.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I whispered, keeping back terrified tears, and started to walk away quickly so I wouldn't cry in front of Kankuro. It wasn't just an uneasy feeling that was bothering me; it was also the reputation I had to keep up, the people believing that I'll pass easily because of my two chakra natures. _What if I don't?_ _Think about what everyone would think of me then…_ I'll just be a failure, and that scares the living crap out of me.

A hand suddenly caught my wrist and wrapped itself stubbornly around mine, making me stop and turn. Kankuro made eye contact with me immediately, his eyes on fire. I cringed, preparing myself.

_Crap. I made him mad…_

"Kitsune, you have no right to be worrying about the exams. You are already a well-respected young Kunoichi of Sunagakure that has everyone's interest, even the Kazekage! I heard him talking to his Board about the Genins that are going to participate, and you were one of the people that everyone seemed to take interest in. What are you afraid of? What could you possibly be beaten by?" I bit my lip hard, forcing back my tears and masking my emotions. "And don't be worried about what your father thinks," I cringed as Kankuro hit home base.

"It's just… I have a bad feeling about the exams this year. I think something may go wrong."

"Kitsune, it is just anxiety! We all have it. Look, if something does go wrong, you have your team and friends to cover your back. You have me to cover your back! Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you," He pulled me in suddenly, jerking my arm, and hugged me hard. I wrapped my arms around him and felt my face twist in emotion. "Just do me one favor. When you get home, eat a little more. Two little rice balls won't cut it- it won't be enough." I pulled away and looked at my feet, shaking my head.

"I-I'm sorry…" I whispered and ran out, tears escaping my eyes and flowing down behind me.

"Kitsune!" I heard Kankuro yell, but didn't stop. People stopped and watched as I passed by, making me even more self-conscious.

_Kankuro's POV_

I sighed as I watched Kitsune run and everyone else glancing in between us with curious eyes, and slowly went back in the restaurant. I put my hat on quickly, stuffed my new puppet part into my pocket and got the rest of the rice balls to go and headed slowly to the meeting place for training, not caring that I was late already. Temari will kill me, surely, but I didn't really have room to give a crap about that. _What could be plaguing Kitsune's mind and making her doubt herself besides her father? I know how her father is, but she says it doesn't bother her much, so that must not be it. She knows what I said was true, but she still worries about failure… what is it? Is it maybe her personality or looks? If so, I should inform her about all the guys talking about how she's a looker, hot, awesome, and what everyone is trying to get. Ahh, you're a mess Kitsune… and, you're going to get me in trouble! I'll go by to make sure she's okay after I finish training… I know her parents are off on a mission. _I reached the training grounds and came upon the sight of Temari pacing around with a pissed look, Gaara sulking in the background, and Baki sitting down with a bored look. As they saw me, Temari immediately ran up to me and punched my head, making me cringe.

"Eh, hey! What was that for Temari?" I asked, rubbing my now sore head and setting the rice balls down.

"What was that for?! _What was that for?! _Kankuro, you're late! We should have started 15 minutes ago!" Temari yelled, pissed, and Baki sighed. "Do you want to fail the Chunin Exams?!" I sweat dropped.

"Temari, calm down. I'm here, right? Let's start." I said, and my sister glared at me as she stepped back. Baki started us on training, but my heart wasn't in to it. I stumbled through the routines, making Temari even more fed up, but I shrugged it off.

At the end of practice, the sun was going down. It was hot and sticky- enough to take my hat and shirt off during training. I quickly put my shirt on, grabbed the leftovers and started to head to Kitsune's house, but Temari grabbed my shoulder harshly and spun me around.

"What the hell is up with you, Kankuro?! You haven't been able to deflect one attack today!"

"Temari, I have a lot on my mind. Now, please let go," I said, keeping cool as I returned her stare. She punched me again in the arm, her lip curling. I cringed and rubbed my arm, betting there'd be a bruise there tomorrow. _Geez…_

"Get it together, brother, or else I'll make you. We are _not_ going to mess up our exams!" She stalked off, mumbling under her breath. I sweat dropped and headed towards Kitsune's house quickly, worry taking over and my sister's brutal personality quickly escaping my mind.

As I reached the house and knocked, no one came to answer. I called Kitsune's name and knocked again, but there was still no answer. I tried the door to find it unlocked, and entered to find everything off except a light in the kitchen. I entered the kitchen, curious and worried, and sighed as I came upon Kitsune passed out on the kitchen table. When I took a closer look, I saw she had been studying for the first part of the exams. Biting my lip, I set the food down and stood in hesitancy. Should I maybe wake her up? Or maybe I should just take her up to her bed while she's asleep? Well, she _is_ a heavy sleeper if she was still asleep after I knocked and yelled.

Ugh.

I closed my eyes and sighed, making up my mind, and softly picked Kitsune up. I paused, hoping she won't wake up, and made my way to her bedroom.

As I kicked the door softly with my foot to open it and put her in her bed, I smiled.

"You're a mess, you know that? You are." I whispered, rolling my eyes. I turned to leave, but suddenly Kitsune moved, making a soft sigh.

"Kankuro?" I heard her whisper, and I froze. Embarrassment immediately washed up, making my face get hot.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I left the leftovers on the table… I'll be leaving now, I guess," I whispered and quickly left, not wanting to show my pathetic blush.

Kitsune's POV

I had immediately went back and began to study when I got home, not caring to eat. When I first heard the knocking, I knew immediately who it was; it was pretty predictable for him. I laid my head down and pretended to be asleep as he entered, and listened as he sighed, put something down on the table, and paused. I thought he'd just leave with a note, but he actually lifted me up and carried me to my room, putting me down on the bed and putting the covers over me. I fought the blush and kept still, listening as he stepped back.

"You're a mess, you know that? You are." I heard him turn to leave, but my body reacted before I knew what I was doing.

"Kankuro?" I opened my eyes to see him freeze, tensing up. His hat was off again, showing his brown hair, and I could bet his paint was smudged from the training.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I left the leftovers on the table… I'll be leaving now, I guess." He whispered and left. I felt my face get red hot and smiled, giggling as the door shut.

Oh, Kankuro… how unpredictable that was.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

As time went by and the Chunin Exams came, the Genin that were going to participate got ready to leave. Baki, Wishina, and another Junín with another group I wasn't that close to named Team Kaede escorted the three groups to Konoha, but ditched us to talk about how they need to prepare us. The third group broke off and Gaara ditched us, leaving Riku, Haruka, Temari, Kankuro, and me to go about on our own. We walked around and looked at the town, laughing and having fun as we explored. Everyone smiled along with us as we walked, making friendly remarks, and all of us except Temari waved back and acknowledged them. When some of the little kids came up to us Temari and Kankuro left, leaving us to talk to the kids…_ I guess that was their limit._

"Who are you?"

"Are you here for the Chunin Exams?"

"I'm going to enter the Chunin Exams one day too!" We laughed and kneeled down to them as we let them talk, swayed by their cuteness to stay around. A little girl, probably a toddler, came up to me and touched my head. I smiled.

"Why, hello! What's your name? I asked and picked the little girl up.

"I'm Miyuki!" She squealed, laughing and beaming at herself.

"Hi Miyuki, I'm Kitsune." I said, and she squirmed out of my hands and ran giggling back to her parents who waved at me and walked off. I moved on to the growing group, and came upon a boy looking at me weirdly. I returned the look quickly, and he set his face in determination.

"You're hair is weird." I rolled my eyes and shrugged it off, knowing he doesn't know better.

"Why thank you! I actually like my hair; it makes me different,"

"Everyone, dogpile on the weird haired girl!" He yelled, and Riku and Haruka backed up quickly as all the kids lumped on me, throwing me back. I cried out in surprise and flailed in the pile of arms, looking at Riku and Haruka for help. They just laughed and looked on at a safe distance, making me irritated. _Yeah, some teammates you are! _After a few minutes they actually started to hurt me, taking my breath away as more kids jumped on.

"Okay, seriously? This is getting old," I tried to shove them off, but it wouldn't work if I didn't want to hurt one of them. "Riku, Haruka, help!" I whined, making them fall on the ground rolling and laughing. "Come on!" I let my head fall as I looked up to the fluffy clouds and blue sky, but more limbs hit me in the face. I snorted and pushed the limbs away from my face, irritated.

"Okay, don't you think that's enough?" I heard a voice say and twisted to see a group of guys standing a little ways away from me. The one that spoke looked on, looking bored, as the children got up and ran off, laughing, and held his hand out to me. I took it and stood, brushing my clothes off but to no avail; the dust was even harder to get off than the sand back home. Riku and Haruka still laughed, rolling around and not noticing the group of apparent Genins.

"Uh, thanks," I whispered, blushing, and took the group in. There were three of them, all Genins, and pretty cute except for the fat one. But, I'd never say that out loud. As I watched him eat the chips he had at such a rapid pace I felt myself get nauseous and looked back to the spiky haired one. _Ugh, how does he eat so fast and so much? I'd throw up if I tried that! Even thinking about inhaling that much food just makes me want to… ouch. _The one with the dog looked at my face and laughed.

"Those kids sure are a lot, huh?" He said, and his dog panted. I looked away and at my team, trying to contain my temper.

"Shut it. I didn't want to hurt them!"

"Oh, you didn't want to hurt them? I say you didn't know how to hurt them." I whipped my head back to the boy and glared, now pissed. The fat one got in between us and the ponytail one put his hand on my shoulder, his eyes still looking bored as he held me back. _Man, he is just not a very enthusiastic kid, is he?_

"Hey, don't take it offensively! Kiba's always like that." The fat one said with a full mouth and a smile, and I looked away.

"Hey, who are you anyways?" I asked.

"I'm Shikamaru Nara. This is Choji Akimichi, and Kiba Inuzuka. I'm guessing you're going to be participating in the Chunin Exams?" I nodded as the one in front of me spoke up, and smiled as Shikamaru gave me his hand. I took it, glancing back at my team again to see them

"I'm Kitsune Aiko. Those idiots are Riku Hayashi and Haruka Ki, the other two of my team. Is this your team?" Shikamaru shook his head as Kiba and Choji got into an argument.

"Nah, Kiba isn't in my team. Choji is, though." I nodded, and sighed as Haruka's laugh got louder.

"Excuse me for a second," I said, and went over to Riku and Haruka. They looked up and laughed again, clenching their stomachs. "Riku, Haruka, we have company," I said through my teeth, and Riku looked over to see the kids and got up immediately, fixing her hair and clothes in embarrassment. Haruka just laughed harder, not looking. I kicked her softly, and she finally looked and sprang up with a cry. I let my head fall and closed my eyes, sighing, and went back over to the now calm group of kids.

"Hi. I'm Shikamaru, and these are Kiba and Choji." Shikamaru said, but didn't take their hands. I noted this with narrowed eyes, and Kiba stepped up.

"How about we go get something to eat?" Kiba asked, and Choji yelled.

"Bar-be-Q!" He drew out, and I looked at Riku and Haruka. They shrugged, and I nodded.

"Sure," I said, smiling again, and Choji took off in the lead. _How can he still want food after finishing the whole bag of chips?_ Kiba and Shikamaru hung back though, getting to know us.

"So, Sunagakure?" Kiba said, and Haruka nodded.

"I'm surprised how green it is here," Riku said, looking around. "We just see desert everywhere… it's so plain."

"I like it in Suna!" Haruka said, and Riku sighed.

"You like sand?" She retorted flatly.

"Well, the canyon is beautiful. Also the sunsets are amazing! It has its moments," She said, smiling, and I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Haruka to be so upbeat and optimistic about anything.

"I guess, but it's so green here… it's beautiful," Riku breathed, and Kiba laughed.

"Green gets kind of boring when you're here! It's the other things that I like that are here. There are flowers, and a bunch of animals!"

"There are animals in the desert!" Haruka said.

"You sure are quiet," Shikamaru whispered, and I turned to look at him. "What do _you _think of it here?"

"I think it's pretty, but it's the forest and clouds that get me. In Suna it's just a plain blue sky and sand as far as you can see, but you have puffy beautiful clouds and trees and a whole lot more animals. I've only seen a few, but they're so much different. Also, the way the forest trees make the sunlight come down in little spots is beautiful." I whispered back, and Shikamaru smiled.

"What all animals have you seen?"

"Only some different birds, lizards, bugs, rabbits… small stuff."

"I bet I can show you something better than just those," He whispered, and paused. "But you'll have to be quiet," I glanced back at the group and then Shikamaru.

Should I?

I smiled and Shikamaru grabbed my hand and ran the other way, through the village and to a store, where he went in to reveal cloth of every kind and grabbed a green scarf. I looked at him, confused, but he quickly paid for it and led me out and walked towards the entrance of the forest, handing me the scarf.

"Put this on and tuck your hair into it. Where we're going, white is going to give us away and I also don't know how they'll react to it." I took the scarf, but huffed.

"Hey! Wait, 'they'?"

"Don't take it wrong, seriously; you're hair is beautiful and unique. But, if you want to see what I'm going to show you, you'll have to hide your hair just this once."

"What are we going to see anyways?"

"You'll see." I looked at him, trying to figure him out.

"Well, then how long are we going to be gone? Haruka and Riku may need me,"

"I can tell you're the natural leader, but they'll be fine with Kiba and Choji." I nodded, but tensed up slightly.

"You 'can tell I'm the natural leader'?" I asked, and Shikamaru nodded.

"I've been observing your team and your behaviors and making analysis about you guys, and I think I have you figured out." _I bet he's trying to get an idea of us for the Chunin Exams… Crap, I hope Riku and Haruka don't say too much! We have an analytical oone on our side. Hat all has he found out?_

"Oh?" I asked, acting incredulous.

"Yep. You're protective and a good role model, you like kids, the leader of your group, and smart. You walk silently even when you're with friends, which tells me you're good at following and gathering intel when you're on missions. You're also analytical like me, noticing I didn't shake your friends' hands, which makes you a key person in battle."

"You're just like Yuuna!" I muttered, baffled. _But he still can't tell about my eyes, like Yuuna was able to when she first met me._

"You're eyes reveal what your emotions are! I can tell you've had a hard past so far and shed more tears than you should have. They say the prettiest eyes are the ones that cry the most." I heard her voice echo in my mind, and I bit my lip. _She was the only one that was able to figure out about how my father treated me… and how my mother had long given up on defending me. _

"Yuuna?" He asked and I nodded, trying to keep the emotion out of my eyes.

"She's a Chunin, but my age. She's a genius from our village, and everyone thinks she'll be Kazekage someday." Shikamaru laughed.

"I'm not a genius, I'm just really observant." We entered the forest and Shikamaru motioned to be quiet. I put the scarf on and tied it, pushing my hair up and leaving my bangs out, feeling the silky fabric and making the note to pay Shikamaru back for the present. We treaded silently until we came to a clearing, where Shikamaru bent down and peered out. I sat beside him, and watched as he made a soft, low whistle. The forest was quiet for a moment longer before it started moving, figures tentatively coming out. A group of deer came out one by one, their noble figures smooth. I inhaled sharply as more and more came, and tiny fawns started to appear. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shikamaru watching me, but I took no attention away for him.

"Beautiful," I whispered, and Shikamaru took my hand and led me out, getting the attention of all the deer. I hesitated, stopping short and making Shikamaru look at me, but he smiled after a second.

"Come on, don't be a drag." He whispered, and led me out to the herd. A male and female came up to us, and Shikamaru let go of my hand and petted the male. I slowly touched the muzzle of the other, and it snorted. "My clan, the Nara clan, owns this land and the forest. We also own the deer here and my father, the head of the clan, takes me out here to help him tend to them. It's a drag, but it's amazing when you're there for one of them to be born, see them grow up, and then have babies of their own." Shikamaru whispered, and put his head with the buck. I turned back to the female I was petting and smiled softly, watching her ears swivel around and her hooves paw the ground softly.

"You're so lucky," I whispered back and swallowed hard, choked. _You're lucky because of more than one thing; you can see these majestic animals daily, but you can also have a father who loves you. _

"Come on, we should be heading back now," Shikamaru said, and turned away from the herd. I reluctantly followed, kissing the deer before catching up to Shikamaru. We walked back in silence, the sunlight dancing on the floor and on us as we moved. A knot in my stomach made its presence as I thought about my dad, and how he believed I would fail miserably and die in the Chunin Exams, and that he wanted me to be gone. I couldn't shake the depression that crept up on me and averted my eyes so no one could see it, especially the rivals. _Don't show weakness. If you do, you're weak and_ will _be killed when they have the chance._

When we were close to the barbeque place, I heard a familiar voice call my name.

"Kitsune! Kitsune, where have you been?! We needed you!" I turned around to see Haruka and Riku running up to me.

"What happened?" I asked, panic filling me, and Riku's eyes widened.

"It's Kankuro. He almost started a fight and beat a kid up!" I cursed under my breath. "We tried to stop him, but only when Gaara came he stopped. Why did you leave us?! You and I both know you were the only one that could have stopped him before he even started something!" Riku yelled.

"Riku, I had no way to know what would happen!" I yelled back, and Haruka got in between us.

"Riku, don't blame her."

"Haruka, she could have stayed with us instead of running off and flirting with someone she barely knew! Kitsune, Wishina-Sensei even showed up." I felt a tingling sensation cover my body as Riku said this and let my eyes widen, not caring to try to cover my emotion up. "She asked where you were and told me to tell you she was disappointed. You're supposed to know better than that! You're supposed to be the all mighty leader of our team, making the good decisions and helping and covering us as we make bad ones, but no! YOU HAD TO RUN OFF!" Riku yelled, and I swallowed.

"Riku-" Haruka started, glancing in my direction with concern, but Riku shoved her away and got in my face.

"Is your father right about you, Kitsune?" She asked lowly, and delivered a blow to my weak spot. "I don't know anymore, honestly. Maybe your father has the right to do what he does! Maybe you _will_ just become another failure and hated by everyone if you keep acting like that!" Riku yelled, and yanked the scarf from my head and let it fall. My hair flew out as I pushed her to the side and ran blindly away, turning and leaping onto the rooftops. _Damn it Kitsune, can you do the right thing for once?! _

Hated… failure… alone…

_That's all I'll be. _

Shikamaru's POV

I let my eyebrows rise as Kitsune's eyes seemed to overflow with emotion, surprised that a pair of eyes could hold that much emotion. I sighed, realizing her eyes revealed everything too late. As Riku pounded Kitsune over and over, Kitsune's eyes filled with pain even more until finally she cracked, shoving Riku away and running. Riku glared as she went, but Haruka gasped.

"You overdid it, Riku!" She gasped, fear echoing in her voice. "You overdid it!" She cried, and ran the other way. Riku froze, and I picked up the scarf and put it to my nose, breathing in Kitsune's sweet scent. What was it with her father? And what's with the failure and hated thing?

"You have a day and a half to get the team back together before Chunin Exams start. After the written test they're going to throw us into the excluded space they've been getting ready and lock it up, and you'll have to have your team together to pass through. It'll be a team effort, you know." I said, and walked the way Kitsune had gone slowly, but when I turned off I ran, taking to the rooftops and looking around for the familiar white hair. I caught a glimpse of white and charged at it, finally catching up to it, but groaned as I saw Kakashi-Sensei. He smiled and waved, but I ran on, not caring to return the favor.

I had to find Kitsune- I want to know just what her teammate meant.

I looked everywhere she could be, but in vain. Finally, as the sunset came out, I gave up and stuffed the scarf into my pocket, jumping down from the rooftops and starting to head back to my house, taking the park path slouched down. _Great, I wasted all that energy for nothing!_

A strike of luck came my way though, and I found Kitsune sitting on a tree, holding a white gardenia in her hand. Her eyes were distant and red, probably from crying, and a vivid stormy blue. The wind blew, and Kitsune sighed as her hair streaked out, a white flame. She raised the gardenia and let go of it, watching as the wind caught it and blew it down to my feet. She froze as she saw me and let her hair cover her right eye, looking away. I sighed and picked the gardenia up and walked up to her, looking up as she still looked away.

"How troublesome… I think you dropped something," I said, and she didn't move. I got out the scarf and put it over the flower, throwing it up. She caught it instinctively and looked at it blankly, her emotions gone. She reached in her pocket and dropped something down and I caught it and opened my hand to see money, the exact amount the scarf was. I sighed. _What a drag she is, giving me money for a stupid present._ "I don't want this." I said, but she just looked ahead, not talking. "Okay, fine. But, I'm still not taking this." I said, and waited until she glanced down with her left eye to put the money down at the base of the tree and start to walk away. I stopped and looked back to see her quickly looking away stubbornly. _Shikamaru, don't make a fool of yourself now._ "Here's another thing I found from observing you! You're built for success. The way you carry yourself tells me you doubt yourself a little, probably because of the stress at the moment, but the air around you is full of greatness. You won't fail, okay? And no one can ever hate you!" Kitsune looked at me, her visible eye on fire.

"You have no idea about my village! You know nothing about me, so how can you know?! If I fail, I will come back as a disgrace to my name! My father already disowns me, but my mother will be forced to if I don't pass! I'll be alone! Everyone expects great things and if I'm not what they think or want, they'll hate me!" I walked up to her again, slouching, and watched on as she realized what she said and cringed. _So, that's what's up with her father… he doesn't have time for her._

"Well, if you don't pass and what you think would have happened does, then no one will care if you transfer villages, and live here. And here, things are different. We care about everyone and always have each other's backs, friends from the beginning to the end." I said, and Kitsune bit her lip.

"Kitsune!" I heard someone yell, and turned to see a guy a few feet away. Kitsune groaned softly.

"You might want to go… this may be ugly." Kitsune whispered, and the guy came over. His eyes set on me furiously.

"So, this is the guy that led you away from your team? What did he do?"

"Kankuro, he didn't do anything," Kitsune whispered, and Kankuro looked at her.

"Then why has it looked like you were crying?"

"Riku opened her mouth," I said, and Kankuro glared at me.

"Get out of here, Konoha filth." He growled, and I leaned against the tree. Kankuro started to get closer to me, wanting a fight, but Kitsune suddenly jumped down in between us. The scarf was now on her left arm, tied like a bandage, and as she stood up I realized she had grabbed the money I had put down, and watched as she nonchalantly put her hands in her pockets.

"He hasn't done anything except showing me around the forest and taking me to a herd of deer. He has done nothing to you to earn the name 'Konoha Filth', and I think Konoha is a great village so you can't pin it on the village, either. How has your day been, Kankuro?" She asked, and Kankuro glanced around her at me. I smiled and waved, and he glared.

"My day was fine. Temari and I got some sweets at a restaurant and found Gaara and trained for a while." He said, his tone changing to a softer voice as he talked to Kitsune. Apparently they were good friends.

"That's good. Well, I think we should be going, right Kankuro? I'll see you later, Shikamaru," Kitsune said, glancing back at me before walking off. The gardenia suddenly fell down from the tree it was left in and I picked it up and sighed, walking back to my house.

Kitsune's POV

"Are you sure that's all you guys did?" Kankuro asked, and I nodded.

"Why do you care?" I asked, and Kankuro looked away.

"You're my best friend. Why would I not?" He mumbled, and I laughed forcefully.

"Well, you don't have to be so reluctant to say that!" Kankuro looked at me and stopped at my hotel room, his paint smeared from training.

"Well, there's more to it." He said, and swallowed. "I promised you no one would hurt you and if someone did, then I'd beat them up. I was wondering if I needed to beat him up."

"No one hurt me today, Kankuro." I said, smiling, and Kankuro rolled his eyes. "Well, see you tomorrow," I said, and Kankuro nodded. I waited for him to go to go in but he paused, and quickly leaned in and kissed me briefly on the lips. I froze, and suddenly I got the reason he was so concerned about me today. Kankuro quickly left and I entered the room to see Riku and Haruka sitting up, waiting for me. Riku stood, and I put my hands in my pockets as I saw what was coming.

"Kitsune, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I was just mad at how you went off and left us alone in that situation," Riku sighed. "We need the team back for the Chunin Exams." She whispered, and I nodded.

"I know. Fine, I accept your apology. We need to get sleep for tomorrow, so good night." I said, and turned the light out.

_Ahhh... __**hormones. **__I __**hate**__ hormones. _


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I'm sorry for not updating sooner, my laptop has been acting up lately and I haven't been able to get on to update...

CHAPTER 3

As morning came, I was first to wake up. I groggily grabbed my pillow and threw it onto Riku twice to get her up, and then hit Haruka with it. They both jumped awake but sat back down as they saw me, rubbing their eyes. I splashed water on my face to wake me up and grabbed my overcoat that I had retired from use yesterday before leaving to get breakfast, saving the others some extra minutes of sleep.

As I walked out the air was nice, on the slight cold side of the temperature, and the dew was still present. I smiled as the birds chirped, and leisurely made my way to where I saw the market. As I woke up more I realized the scarf was still on my arm, and remembered what Kankuro had done.

What was I going to do? Was I going to let my best friend become something more, or choose Shikamaru?

Whoa there Kitsune, Shikamaru could just be friendly. He may not like me and besides, it would never work out; we're from different villages.

I put that at the back of my head as I yawned again, picking out some of the requested fruit and paid for it, smiling sleepily at the lady.

"Here, how about I give you some coffee to go for a discount?" She asked, and I smiled wider. _Everyone's so friendly here. Maybe Shikamaru was right when he said things were different here…_

"Thank you, but I'd rather pay full price." I said, and the woman nodded and quickly made a cup of coffee and gave it to me. I paid, and slowly headed back with the stuff, taking long sips of the just right coffee and taking everything in with a smile.

Taking an emotional dump is good every now and then.

I finished my coffee and looked at the ground as I walked, still groggy from when I woke up, and rubbed my eyes, yawning again, but was cut short from running into something. I started to fall back, caught off guard, but hands caught me. I blinked rapidly, letting my eyes focus, and gasped as I saw Shikamaru in front of me. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at me, lifting me up.

"If you're this clumsy naturally, I hope your team has your back." I averted my eyes and yawned fully this time, letting my bangs cover my face. Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag… why do you let your bangs cover your face? It's annoying." He asked, and I blushed as he swept my bangs away and made me look at him. He smiled softly. "I'm guessing you aren't used to getting up with the sun,"

"They want to get up early to seal the training but _I_ just had to get breakfast… no, I'm not used to it, what do you think? Use your head." I muttered, and kept my gaze down. "Why are you up?"

"I get up at this hour every day. I'm used to it," He said and I rolled my eyes, yawning again.

"I need to get going," I said and started to leave, but Shikamaru grabbed my left arm and stopped me. I looked back at Shikamaru, who quickly pulled my sleeve up to see the scarf. He smiled and let go of me, the sleeve slipping down automatically.

"I thought I felt something under there," He said, and I let my mouth open slightly in a half smile half gape.

"You're horrible."

"You're troublesome." I rolled my eyes and turned again, getting a little further before Shikamaru slipped in beside me, groaning. "What a drag… do you have to take the test in the same room as us?"

"Room 301?"

"Yeah," I smiled discreetly, and stopped as I reached the entrance to the hotel. Shikamaru looked at me, slouching. "Look, when we get into the arena, it's going to be rough for us. Can we just maybe call it a truce and tag team?" I smiled.

"Are you considering me a possible ally, Shikamaru?"

"I'm considering you a friend," I felt a tinge of happiness go through my body as he said this, and nodded.

"Well, okay. I'll tell the team, and I'll see you later," I said, and Shikamaru nodded. I entered the hotel and quickly went up to the room to see Riku and Haruka sleeping again, and took my overcoat off and hit them with the pillow again. I gave them the fruit, sitting down on my bed with the same stubborn smile. I tried to fight it away with the chunin Exams, but they would always be overridden by girly thoughts… about Shikamaru. _Kitsune, keep your head in the game!_

"What's that smile about, Kitsune?" Haruka asked, biting into her apple. "Did you see Kankuro or something?" I shook my head, and my smile vanished briefly.

"No. I bumped into Shikamaru," I said, and took the scarf off of my arm and felt of it with my left hand, my right hand currently holding a peach. "Literally."

"Ohh! Do tell," Haruka giggled, and I smiled wider. I put the peach to my mouth to hide it though, ashamed. He's my rival, anyways! I could always have to go up against him to fight, and if I let these feelings take over… it's game over for me.

"He asked us to team up during the second round. Also, he asked me which room I had. Apparently we all have the same room for the first round." I said, and Riku snorted.

"Okay, one question. What's with that scarf anyways? I don't remember you having it when we first came here."

"Shikamaru bought it for me when we went to the forest. About Kankuro, though…" I filled my teammates in on everything that had happened, and Haruka got up and jumped, giggling.

"Aww! It's a love triangle! I think you should stay with Kankuro though because you only know him better!" I glared at her as I bit into my peach again, taking another big bite.

"I do not like Shikamaru, and he does not like me. It's like saying you guys like Choji and Kiba!" I said, and Riku laughed.

"Now, I can object to that easily. Kiba told us himself that you were a looker. Choji kept silent though, and I bet he was looking at Haruka here. I think he likes her." I smiled, and Haruka blushed.

"Well, he is kind of cute," She admitted with a flirty giggle, and we laughed. There was a knock on our door, and we fell silent. I got up and peeked through the peephole to see Kankuro and cursed silently and grabbed Riku, making her answer it as I sat down on my bed and took another bite of my peach.

"Oh, hi Kankuro!" Riku said, and let him in. I looked up to see him without paint or his hood on, and smiled softly at him. He sat down beside me as Riku took her bed.

"How are you guys?" He asked, and Haruka took over, groaning exasperatedly.

"Exhausted!" She said loudly, and rolled her eyes. "I say we cancel practice and just go back to bed for the rest of the time! We aren't needed until three…" She plopped down, closing her eyes, and Riku sweat dropped.

"Haruka, we need this. It'll wake us up and prepare us for the second part of the Chunin Exams!"

"They're tomorrow though!" She whined, and I closed my eyes as I sighed.

"Training? Hey, we were going to do the same thing! How about we join you and square off?" Kankuro asked, and Riku smiled.

"Sure!" She said. "We'll see you there."

"Okay. But, I wanted to know what room you guys had," Kankuro said, and I spoke up.

"We all have the same rooms, apparently; room 301."

"Oh, cool. Maybe we could be able to sit together and help out." Kankuro said, looking at me, and a silence followed. I felt myself blush as he let his hand shift over mine, making him smile as he got up. "I'll see you later! Good luck," He said, and left. I finished my peach and threw the seed away, stretching.

"Come on guys, let's get ready," I said, and we set to work counting the supplies we had as a team and making sure we knew what to do in circumstances before there was a knock again. "It's open!" I called, and finished putting the supplies up in my bag. The Sand Siblings entered, and waited as we finished packing and checked out with us. I then took the lead, quickly taking them to the forest and one of the many clearings I had seen with Shikamaru.

Shikamaru's POV

As I saw the group of six running along the rooftops, a familiar girl leading, I set out to make it my business to see what was going on as curiosity took over. I followed them silently as they entered the forest and stopped at a clearing, one Kitsune and I had passed when I took her to Nara clan forest, and watched as they started training, squaring off and attacking each other in teams of two, their moves flashy and effective. Kitsune was a big part of the strategy, though, as she seemed most powerful in her group. I took notes on how they all fought, but my eyes kept trailing back to Kitsune and her movements, like a dancing flame, smooth and graceful, her hair flowing behind her beautifully.

After a few more minutes I realized Kitsune was using two types of chakra. I bit my lip, amazed, and watched as she turned the tide and overall won it for her group. I cringed as she let her eyes trail to where I was and ducked down, looking through the bush, and sighed as she raised her eyebrows in my direction and rolled her eyes and smiled before going back to the conversation. I felt my stomach flip happily as I quickly backed away and went back to the village, meeting up with Ino and Choji. I shared the information I gathered with them, and Ino giggled.

"I think someone has a crush!" She said, and I felt my face get hot.

"What a drag, Ino! I do not! Besides, she's from Suna, and I just got crucial information in case we have to fight. They're still in the void about how our techniques are, so we have the upper hand." I muttered, and Ino giggled again.

"Keep telling yourself that," She smiled, and walked away. Choji leaned in to my ear.

"I understand fully, man. Haruka has me hooked! But, Kiba is taking an interest in Kitsune. I caught up with Naruto and Rock Lee and found that Lee liked Riku, and Naruto was interested in them all even though they didn't meet them properly yet." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever," I said. "What a drag…"

Kitsune's POV

As we split up after the training, I found myself walking alone in the park, smelling of the sweet aroma the flowers gave out. I walked deeper into the beautiful place and came upon a figure with a dog, training. I looked closer and saw Kiba, his face flushed from training so hard, and I rolled my eyes, smiling, and moved on, keeping him in the corner of my eye. The wind shifted and my scent wafted towards them, making Kiba stop and look at me. I pretended not to notice and kept going and watching as Kiba quickly took his shirt off and said something to his dog before running towards me. _Well, he sure is cocky. That's an obvious weakness, I see; I'll keep that in mind._

"Kitsune!" He yelled, and I turned.

"Oh, hey! It's Kiba, right?" I asked, and Kiba smiled, obviously happy I remembered him.

"Yeah, that's me!" He said, and put his hands on his sides, showing off. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just exploring. I want to see as much nature as possible before I go back to burnt stuff, cactuses, sand, and dirt." I said, and Kiba laughed, falling into pace with me. "What about you?"

"I was getting some extra training in before I was thrown into the survival area. I hear from rumors it's a forest called 'The Forest of Death'." Kiba said, putting in emphasis to make the name sound scary.

"Ohhh," I said and pretended to shiver. "How scary," We laughed.

"You're lucky to live here, you know." I said after a second, sighing.

"Not really. You get used to it a while."

"I don't think I would! It's so beautiful. Besides, everyone's so friendly and happy and kind-hearted,"

"That's Konoha for you! Hey, then why don't you transfer here?" I paused, and shook my head as I felt my stomach churn.

"I can't… my life is in Suna, even though it's beautiful here." I whispered, and Kiba nodded. _At least… I think. Even though my father… I mean, I'd be called a traitor and considered scum! _

"I understand, I guess." He said, and we were launched into a silence. We reached the village again and walked quietly for a while until Riku and Haruka found me. We split, and I walked with them and got dango.

"So, Kitsune, what do you think of the bunch for the Chunin Exams? Do we need to look out for anyone?" Riku asked after a second, and I swallowed my bite of dango.

"Well, there's Gaara, like usual," I said, and paused as I thought.

"Well, no duh! He's like, total freak show strong. I'm just glad we're friends with Kankuro and Temari for protection." Haruka said loudly, and I sighed.

"Well, everyone else we've met so far is normal. I don't know for sure, because we haven't had a lot of time, but Shikamaru is very analytical and has a brain like Yuuna. He's lazy, though, which is basically his only weakness so far. Kiba's cocky, and Choji… well, he eats a lot. I don't know,"

"Hm, interesting. Is there no one else you know of that you could give is input about?"

"Not yet, but I'll try to-" I felt something hit my back hard and cried out, spinning around with a kunai in hand to see a group of three, all looking at us with narrowed eyes as they sat on top of the fence. The one that apparently hit me smiled slightly at my reaction. I was taken by his looks immediately, and kept a blush away as Riku and Haruka tensed up.

"Oh, hot guy with huge cool factor alert!" Haruka chimed in softly, and I sighed.

"Haruka…"

"Guys, the blonde haired one has a whole lot of crazy chakra inside of him it isn't even funny!" Riku hissed, and I raised my eyebrows as I scanned the blonde on the other side of the pink haired girl.

"He does? I would think he wouldn't," I whispered back quickly. The blonde haired guy closed his eyes and stood up, pointing his finger at us as his other hand curled up into a fist.

"Hey, stop whispering about us! I know you're taken by me, Naruto Uzumaki, but seriously! It isn't fair! And I have a bone to pick with you guys. Someone from your village tried to beat up Konohamaru! I know two of you from the scene, but where'd the third come from?" Naruto yelled, and I looked at Riku as Haruka giggled.

"You're sure he's the one with the chakra?" I asked, and Riku nodded. I looked back to see the girl scolding the guy before hitting him. He fell to the other side but jumped back up quickly, starting an argument. The cutie sighed, putting his head down as he closed his eyes.

"It's weird, isn't it?"

"Ha! Keep telling yourself that, blondie!" Haruka said as the two stopped arguing and giggled again as Naruto took this badly. "And seriously, sorry about Kankuro; he isn't like us!"

"No, Naruto, I believe they're trying to analyze us. You heard how they were talking about the Genin, right? That leads me to believe they're the analytical type. What's your name?" Haruka stood straight and put her hand on her chest, blinking.

"Me?" She asked, her eyes wide and a blush starting, but the 'cool guy' shook his head and pointed to me. I narrowed my eyes.

"Why don't you tell me yours, first?"

"Sasuke Uchiha, last of my clan," he said, still looking at me.

"I'm Kitsune Aiko." I said, and Sasuke hopped down and started to walk up. _What is up with this? He's the obvious one to look out for, but Naruto has all the chakra! What's up with that? Wait… _

"Riku-" I started, but Sasuke got too close for me to finish.

"You guys aren't like the other three, are you?" I sighed, knowing we wouldn't hear the end of this and giving up on asking Riku about my guess.

"No, we aren't." I said, and glanced at Riku and Haruka. "We're probably the friendlier team of the Sand. And please, forgive us for the whole incident with the child… Konohamaru?"

"Yeah, we were caught off guard and didn't have the thing we needed to stop him," Riku muttered, and I sent a warning look her way for a second before looking back at the three.

"Why did you hit me?" I asked, and Sasuke smiled again.

"I heard you talking to your team about what information you gathered and was impressed. I wanted to… find out what your name was in case I had to fight you." _Great, he's on to me. _I relaxed and put my kunai up, the others following my example, and watched as Sasuke put his hand out for me to shake. I looked at it, trying to see through any attacks, but saw none. I took it and let him shake it as he looked into my eyes. _Man, this guy has soft hands. Keep the blush in, Kitsune!_ I felt eyes on me and looked to see Sakura glaring, her eye twitching, and Naruto with his back turned pouting. I quickly let go and pulled away, watching as Sasuke glanced in the direction I looked to and sigh before putting his hands in his pockets. Haruka came up and smiled, her full flirtatious side coming out.

"Well, hello Sasuke! I'm Haruka, the best Ear-" I quickly launched for her and covered her mouth as I talked over her.

"Well, we'll be going!" I said loudly, louder than I liked to talk, and let Haruka pull away and glare at me. I returned the look with a warning, and sighed inwardly as I looked back to Sasuke. He was looking on with narrowed eyes, a small sly smile on his lips. _Damn it, he caught what she said. I was too late! Haruka, you idiot!_

"It was nice to meet you, Kitsune Aiko." He said, and quickly pulled his hands out of his pockets and shifted them around quickly, and I got a kunai out again from instinct. As Sasuke stopped swinging his hands around, I saw a small red flower in his hand. He took it by the stem and held it out to me, and I felt my face get warm. _Okay, seriously? He's trying to get on the good side so he can blind me. What's gotten into you, Kitsune? Gah, I bet you're blushing. Stop it! He doesn't like you. _

"Nu-uh, Sasuke! You can't be taken by her, she's the enemy!" Naruto cried, and Sakura fell to her knees.

"Sasuke!" She whined, and I took the flower. He paused a moment longer before turning.

"Come on guys, let's go." He muttered, and they followed slowly. We watched them go, and I felt my bones not cooperate.

"What the heck? He gives you the flower?" Haruka said, and I looked at the flower again and sniffed it, smelling a faint sweet smell. "This isn't fair!" As they disappeared I turned, letting my hands fall to my sides as I held the flower.

"Come on, guys, let's check in."

"Kitsune, do you think Naruto could be-"

"-Another Jinchuriki? Yeah, I was going to bring that up. So, you agree with it? We may want to keep an eye out for that just because of that and our past dealings with Jinchuriki, but I honestly don't know. The way they treated him… maybe he isn't nearly as bad as Gaara, but we still need to keep our eye out for him. And Sasuke-"

"-is so hot! He's so cool, and awesome, and he smelled so good! Did he have soft hands?"

"Yeah, he had really soft hands, Haruka, but don't freak out about it. We need to keep an eye out for him! He hit me perfectly in the back… and I get the feeling that the Uchiha clan could be interesting," Haruka huffed, and we entered the Academy and became silent for a second. I put the flower in my pocket carefully, and looked around and found the stairs. We walked up quickly to the third floor and entered room 301 to see a lot of people already there. They looked at us as we entered, curious, and I swallowed down a knot as fear creeped into my stomach and made it churn.

Man, this looks like a tough crowd… this isn't going to be a walk in the park.

"So many… they all look like… Kitsune, we're…" Haruka whispered, and I looked over to see her shaking. I put my hand on her shoulder briefly, making her look at me with terror-filled eyes.

"Don't show them you're scared. We're rookies so we're a target, and we need to stay strong. It'll be okay," I said, and she nodded, her face determined. We walked in and took a seat at the back, the closest, and sat down. I scanned the crowd, getting even more scared as I looked at all the brutes.

After a few minutes Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari came up and sat beside us in tense silence as we listened in on everyone else talking. I scanned the room again, sitting up on the table, but didn't see one of the Konoha Genins I knew. _Where are they?_

Finally, the door opened again and the Konoha Genins came out with even more of their group, and I took them in. They stopped short as they looked at everyone, and someone came up to them and introduced themselves. A lot of people went back to what they were doing, but I watched as the guy got out cards. Sasuke went up and said something, and he got three cards out and pursued to show them the contents. I craned my neck to see, but a head was in the way. The few people I knew of the group looked up and towards us, though, and their eyes landed on Gaara. They then looked back down and then up again to me, their eyes shocked and determined. Sasuke's eyebrows rose in surprise, and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. I glanced over to see Riku looking on carefully also, her eyes narrowed.

"Riku, do you think… those cards… could have information about everyone?"

"Maybe, Kitsune… I wouldn't put it past four eyes over there,"

""He looks like the smart one, anyways, but I'm afraid about how much they know about us now." Riku looked at me and nodded, but gasps and a cry got our attention back to the Konoha Rookies. I watched as the guy that had the cards fell, his glasses shattered and throwing up.

"Holy crap, what did I miss?" Haruka asked, now on the other side of me, and I sighed as I watched. I heard a bang, suddenly, and jerked my head to the other side to see Konoha Junín standing. The one in the front glared, and shouted some things at the Sound Ninja before getting us to file through. We lined up and walked through quickly, each getting numbers far away from each other. I sat down in the middle, and watched as people filed through and took their places. As the Konoha Genin I know came through they all took their place, and Shikamaru sat beside me.

"I guess we're sitting next to each other," He said, and I nodded. After everyone settled in, the proctor, Ibiki Morino, stood up and gave us rules. As he talked on, I felt fear well up inside me at everything he said. _This guy… he knows how to be menacing and take people's confidence away. Crap… _the proctors handed out the tests quickly, and Ibiki started it. Before I had a chance to look at the first question Shikamaru spoke up carefully.

"You know about this test, right?" He asked as he looked down, his mouth barely moving as he filled in his name.

"Yeah, it's a trick," I whispered back, and Shikamaru smiled.

"Good." I quickly glanced over at the test and raised my eyebrows, surprised I knew some answers to it if I used my brain. I filled the ones I knew out and looked on to the test the kid in the table in front of me was filling out and cheated off him, finishing right before Ibiki stood up.

"Now for the last question… you have a choice to either answer or skip this question. If you skip it your whole team fails for the year and you can come back next time, but if you choose to answer it and get it wrong you fail and stay a Genin forever." I clenched my jaw and thought about my choice. It was a no brainer though, and I sat back in my seat. I caught the eye of Haruka, her eyes wide and her hand hovering, and I shook my head quickly. She put it back down and looked away, and my attention was turned to the people that started to give up. Naruto started to, but said an amazingly inspirational speech that seemed to give everyone backbone, but surprised me. _So, he isn't a complete moron._

"Now, to those of you that answered the question, congratulations, you passed!" I sighed, getting it immediately.

"It was a trick question," I moaned, and put my head on my desk as I found out the first 9 questions were basically just meaningless. A crash lifted my head off the table, and I looked up to see a girl with a banner behind her. She started yelling, and Ibiki peeked out and said something. The girl turned red, but quickly resumed her usual look.

So, she was our next proctor…

We were dismissed, and I met up with my team and crashed immediately. _How do the Leaf Ninja do this?_


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"Kitsune, this is my team. You've met Choji, but this is Ino Yamanaka." I smiled and took her hand as Ino extended it after Shikamaru introduced us.

"I'm Hakura, and this is Riku!" Haruka piped up, and I looked around at the little groups we had left that were gathered up in front of the 'Forest of Death'.

"I'm Ino," Ino said, and shook hands with my team. After a second I saw Kankuro looking my way, glaring at Shikamaru with an intense hatred, and I swallowed hard. I glanced at Shikamaru, who was talking to Choji, and saw Riku and Hakura talking to Ino, fitting right in. I sighed and turned back to see Kankuro still glaring. Temari and Gaara looked on with cold expressions, making me shiver. I took my gaze off of them and untied the scarf on my hand and tied it to my head, tucking my hair inside of it like when I was with Shikamaru.

"Okay, listen up Genins!" I heard a girl yell, and we all turned to a woman wearing a fishnet shirt, overcoat, and a skirt. She pursued to fill us in about how we needed two scrolls, not to open them, blah, blah. Finally she made us line up and gave each team either a heaven or earth scroll behind a curtain. I took it and stuffed it in my pocket and met up with Shikamaru's team, where we chose gate 27 and revealed the scrolls we had.

Shikamaru's team got an earth scroll while we got a heaven scroll.

As the gate opened unexpectedly, I stuffed the scroll back into my pocket and we entered and quickly moved on until we were a good way away from the entrance, where we stopped.

"Well, this proves a setback," Shikamaru said as he looked at me, sighing. "We both need opposite scrolls."

"Oh well. It's truce, right?" I asked, but set my guard up. I widened my stance, and Shikamaru looked away, not replying. Hakura and Riku stood in front of me.

"Yeah, a truce is a truce." He said finally, and we relaxed slightly. I looked around, my eyes narrowed.

"So, what's next Nara?" I asked, and Shikamaru looked at me.

"I say we try to get to a team and take the scroll they have, since we need either one, and figure out what we're going to do later." He said, and I nodded. We set out quietly, following our senses, and started to track down a team.

We found one a little later; a team of three from the Land of Rain, all walking with wide, scared eyes. Shikamaru stopped us and sent my team in first to create the distraction and find out who had the scroll, and I climbed a tree and hopped from branch to branch, leading my team so we were above them, and jumped down. The three jumped and screamed in surprise and terror. The girl quickly took her scroll out and threw it at us as they ran away, making me raise my eyebrows. _So, not all Rain Nin are tough._ I picked it up and bit my lip, realizing it was a heaven scroll, and Shikamaru and his team hopped down beside us. I held the scroll out to him. _He can ditch us now or stay with us… which one is he going to do?_

"Here's your ticket out of here." I said, and Shikamaru took the scroll and stuffed it in his bag, glancing at Ino and Choji. Ino nodded, and I sighed inwardly. _They're going to leave us… _I lowered my head.

"We'll help you get your scroll." Shikamaru said, and I looked up at his eyes. He smiled, and I felt my heart jump.

"Thank you," I whispered and he nodded, leading us on.

We saw no other teams the rest of the day. When we set up camp, Riku took the first watch as we lay down beside the fire, trying to get to sleep. I heard Haruka fall asleep instantly and smiled softly as I looked up at the little gap in the trees at the stars I could see, listening to her snoring softly.

"Just enter the second round and die in there! Let your body become fertilizer to the plants there and your bones rot, your ugly, cursed white hair the only thing of you that'll be left behind!" I heard a deep voice full of hatred resonate in my mind, taking my smile away immediately and making tears well up into my eyes. I swallowed hard, a knot in my throat forming, my momentary happiness being killed by misery and despair instantly. I bit my lip hard as a fat tear fell down my cheek, burning my ego, and I quickly turned so my head was buried in my arms as the tears fell silently.

I was ashamed of myself.

I bit my lip harder and felt my tooth go through my lip, sending pain through my lips, and I wet my bottom lip and tasted blood, making my nose curl. I spat the blood out as silently as I could and dried my face with my arms, sniffling once, and heard leaves cracking as someone rolled over to me and tapped my shoulder, but I just buried my face in my arms again, hoping they'd go away whoever they were; it was bad enough that my father was getting to me _now_.

They tapped me again, and I sighed, shifting so I was on my side and looked to see Shikamaru briefly before he hugged me hard, letting his arm sneak under my head and push it to his chest, his head resting on top of mine. I felt his chest move as he breathed deeply, his heart beating faster than normal. I let us stay like this until he pulled away a few minutes later, scooting down so we were face to face. His eyes traveled to my lips and he sighed as he let his finger trail over my bottom lip before showing me a red stain.

"You busted your lip," He whispered.

"I know, Einstein," I whispered back and swallowed, looking away.

"What was it?" I shook my head, and Shikamaru pulled my chin up. "What was it?" He asked again, his eyes firm.

"My father isn't exactly the figure you think he is," I whispered, and Shikamaru's eyes clouded over.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his voice steely. I shook my head and Shikamaru grabbed my hand firmly. "Does he hit you?" He asked, his emotions getting the better of him, and I looked up into his eyes a moment more before turning, hiding the tears. "My god…" Shikamaru whispered, his mind probably connecting the dots. I glanced up to see Riku walking this way. She smiled softly at me and squatted down beside me.

"Your turn," she said, and I nodded and got up, brushing my clothes before climbing a tree. I let my hair loose and absently moved the scarf in my hands, touching it as I looked down at the group. I saw Shikamaru's eyes gleam as they glanced at me.

I watched the rest of the night, not caring to wake Haruka up; she looked like she needed the sleep, and I saw Choji and her inching ever so slowly closer until they were _right there_. As the sun started to rise I fixed my hair into the scarf again and jumped down and woke everyone up, kicking them softly. As Haruka woke up she looked at me with upset eyes.

"Why didn't you wake me up? You didn't need to take the whole night!" She whispered, and the others started to stir. Shikamaru stood, stretching, and let his lips slide into a half frown as he heard this, his eyes fiery.

"Okay, let's move on guys," He said, and everyone moved as a group onward, towards the tower. Shikamaru hung back at my side, though, and stayed there. As we caught sight of another group and came within seeing distance we saw a Konoha group struggling, two of them passed out and a girl alone and struggling with an Oto group. Ino gasped and we watched as we found Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke. Sakura was caught by the girl, and cut her hair to free herself and attacked the Oto Nin that was going to kill Sasuke. Shikamaru glanced at us, torn in between helping them and helping us, and I stood up with Riku and Haruka.

"Go help your friends, Shikamaru. We'll be okay, right guys?" Riku and Haruka nodded, and we headed away. After we lost sight of them I led them to the top of the trees, where we paused for Riku to get a group in her sights. After a second she froze, her eyes widening. I felt my stomach churn as I squatted down beside her.

"What is it?"

"It's… it's so much chakra… back there, where we left Shikamaru, there's so much chakra flowing through someone." I bit my lip, glancing back.

"Shikamaru…"_ Stay safe. Should we go back? _

"We have to keep going, Kitsune, or else we may not get that scroll. You have to have faith in them," Haruka said, and I nodded.

"Right. Riku, get another team in your sights." Riku sighed and closed her eyes, concentrating before pointing to her right. We took off and pursued a little before we found a team and attacked. We quickly won, but got a heaven scroll instead. I fried it with my lightning and we moved on, getting closer to the tower and running in to another Amegakure team. They fought back, though, but we quickly overpowered them and took their earth scroll, rejoicing. I put it in my bag and we ran to the tower, our faces victorious, but when we were less than a mile away from the tower a giant creature flew out and blocked our path. We stopped short and backed up, a giant bear that must have been at least twelve feet tall rearing up on its back feet.

"Uh, Kitsune?" Riku asked, and I swallowed hard. The bear lowered himself to his four feet and snorted. "Kitsune?!" It suddenly charged us, making us scream. "KITSUNE!" Riku yelled at the top of her lungs, and I leapt up onto the trees.

"Hurry, on the trees! We need to get to the other side of that thing so we can get to the tower!" I yelled, and Riku and Haruka jumped up. We jumped up higher into the trees until we were higher than the bear's head and hopped across the limbs and crossed the bear, setting off for the tower in a panic. I paused to let Riku and Haruka pass me and continue, weaving signs. "Water Release: Great Wave Wall!" I yelled and let myself spiral to the ground, hitting it with my hands. Water sprouted up immediately as I rolled away, and the bear crashed into it. I stood and backed away, Haruka and Riku above me. The bear slashed the wall over and over, crashing into it, and trying to jump over it, but to no avail. We stopped and watched as the bear ran away, disappearing.

"Are we safe?" Haruka asked quietly, and I started to nod when the bear came back, tackling the wall and breaking it.

"RUN!" I yelled, and Haruka and Riku jumped down off of the trees and ran ahead of me and into a clearing. Through the trees I could see the entrance to the tower, but suddenly the bear was in front of us. Riku attacked it with Desert Cactus Needle Barrage, but it took it without trouble like someone was patting it. I weaved some signs and raised my right hand, lightning from the sky striking down and gathering until it was a huge ball of lightning, crackling and leaping like a flame. I attacked it and jumped up, hitting its back, and leaped back as the bear roared and swatted at its chest, the lightning shocking it. It charged us and Haruka raised an earth barrier, which the bear broke through. I weaved some signs and blasted lightning at it with my Lightning Gun technique, but it ignored it and kept charging us. We split up and went different ways, Haruka and Riku going to the right and me going to the left. The bear flew through us and turned around, pissed. The three of us met up in the middle again, Riku looking at me.

"What do we do?!" She yelled, and I swallowed hard.

"I don't know!" I yelled back, fear gripping me. I heard my name called and looked behind the bear to see Shikamaru and his team, all of us momentarily distracted, which the bear took the opportunity to charge us. I jerked my attention back to the bear and weaved some signs, sending a jet of water out to my team and blowing them to safety. I aimed the jet down and let it lift me up, barely missing the bear's teeth. I landed on its back and weaved some signs and used the Lightning Gun technique again, but at the head. It moved around and twisted and stood on two legs, but I hung on and weaved more signs and hit it with another lightning move on the head and back before finally it rolled over, making me have to jump off. Choji expanded himself and charged the bear, but it slapped him away and made him hit a tree, knocking him out. Shikamaru then weaved some signs and did something, but there was no apparent response. It turned to them, starting to charge, but I hit it with my Lightning Gun again, making it charge me. I propelled myself upward with my water jet and landed beside my team, still cowering in the corner. The bear turned and slapped at me, hitting me and causing me to fly back and into a tree making everything go black for a second. It then turned to Riku and Haruka and started to kick them with its claws, but I slowly pulled myself up, groggy, and ran towards my friends and shoved them aside in time to save them.

But, the bear's claw hit me instead.

I gasped as the sharp end dug into my stomach and sent pain through my body everywhere, making my head swim. Everything got blurry as the bear accidentally kicked the tree with me, getting his paw stuck. The scarf fell to the ground from the enormous impact, my hair swinging loose and getting into my eyes as I weaved some signs and let lightning course through my body, shocking the bear over and over again. Finally it got its paw loose and shook me off, slamming me to the ground hard, and ran. I gasped upon impact, my body frozen in pain, and let my head turn to the side to see my scarf a little ways off. In the distance I heard feet running towards me, yelling for help and a name over and over again, frantically trying to get me… but all I saw was the scarf. I slowly reached for it, my arm crying out when I tried to move it, but it was just out of reach. I frowned and let my eyelids fall slightly, suddenly feeling like a hundred pound weight. My head was turned around by hands and I was eye to eye with Riku, who frantically talked. I registered her voice in the distance, telling me to keep it together or something, that Hakura is getting help, something, something, something… More faces appeared and I recognized Choji, Ino, and Shikamaru. Shikamaru grabbed my head and lifted it softly, his other hand taking my hand, and then everyone was talking at once. Riku was telling me I was going to be okay, Ino told me to not fall asleep, Choji started to freak out, blabbering, and Shikamaru told me how troublesome I was.

Blah, blah, blah….

I blinked slowly, and took a deep breath as I looked at Riku.

"I guess… he'll… have his wish," I whispered, and everyone stopped. Riku let her hands fly to her mouth, tears falling, and shook her head.

"No, no, no! NO! You aren't…. aren't going to… no, I won't let you!" She screamed, slapping my cheek hard. I clenched my jaw as another wave of pain surged through my body, making my eyes close and my head hurt.

"The scrolls, Riku," I whispered with my eyes still closed, and felt her undo the buckle and take my pouch.

"Don't close your eyes!" I heard Shikamaru say, and opened my eyes to see his face screwed up in pain. "Don't do it. Don't give him what he wants, Kitsune!" He said, and grabbed my scarf and put it in my hand, making me clench it. "Please, for me." I shook my head.

"It doesn't work… like that. I would… if I could…" I exhaled sharply, cringing again from pain, and looked at Riku. "Tell Kankuro I'm sorry…"

"Her pulse is weakening…" Ino whispered, and Shikamaru's eyes widened in terror. I felt my eyes start to close, and saw tears escape Shikamaru.

"Are you crying… for me, Shikamaru?" I asked, my eyes closing all the way as pain overcame me. I drew a deep breath to finish what I was saying, pain flooding my senses. "Are you crying for a total stranger?" I whispered, and a dark coldness surrounded me. A voice resonated inside my head, a simple sentence.

"I'm crying for a friend!"

Shikamaru's POV

I felt her grip on the scarf loosen and watched as it fell into the pool of blood, staining immediately. Kitsune's hand fell beside her, beside the scarf like she was reaching for it. I felt the tears stream harder as the medical team and a few others showed up, shoving us away. I grabbed the scarf and sat down, staring at it and finally wept freely as I held it to my head. I doubled over in sobs, and heard yells. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up, still sobbing, to see Riku and Haruka, both crying. Haruka was sobbing loudly, her hands up to her eyes, but Riku stood and silently wept as she looked down at me.

"You were… important to her…" She whispered, and squatted down and hugged me hard, her body racked by sobs. "So I want you to know I trust you!" She said loudly, her emotions showing for a second before she pulled away and sat on her legs. "We are Shinobi… this happens to us and we are meant to endure, even if we cry. I understand why we would, but why you?" She asked.

"She… I… I don't know," I admitted, and brought myself together. "I felt myself drawn to her ever since I met her. I purposely made her bump into me this morning because I wanted to talk to her. In the little time we met, I became friends with her." I whispered and Riku nodded, looking down.

"You liked her." She whispered, and I nodded, finally accepting it.

"Yes."

"It was not unrequited," She whispered, making me freeze. Tears flew to my eyes again but I held them down as I looked back at Kitsune being lifted into a stretcher by medics, her arm falling towards the scarf on the ground. A figure suddenly shrouded my vision and I looked up to see the guy, Kankuro, with tears falling. His eyes were on fire as he glared at me, picking me up and lifting me by my shirt.

"What the hell happened?!" He yelled, and I swallowed hard.

"She saved her teammates by giving her life. I couldn't help her… I was too weak," I whispered, and Riku stood up and grabbed Kankuro's shoulder until her knuckles went white. Kankuro cringed, but still held me hard.

"He's right, now put him down." Kankuro dropped me, making me fall to my butt, but I got up to be punched hard. I slowly recovered and watched Kankuro walk away, his body tense, and Riku and Haruka hugging. Choji and Ino looked at me but kept their distance, talking quietly. I grabbed the scarf and walked ahead, grabbing the scrolls and presenting them to Anko. She nodded and smiled softly, taking them.

"Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akamichi, and Shikamaru Nara of Team 10." I said, and Anko nodded.

"I would say congratulations, but I don't think you want that." She said, and let us inside. I let Ino and Choji go before me, wanting to ask a question.

"Is it possible she'd make it out alive?" I asked, my emotions bare. Anko sighed.

"It's a 10% chance, Shikamaru. It's there, but slim. To put it to you brutally honest I don't think so by how late we got to her," She whispered and I nodded, going in to see Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto watching me from a distance. Ino and Choji joined them, but I went straight to the rooms they had for us and locked myself inside. I immediately went to the bathroom and started to try to wash the blood out from the scarf, tears spilling again silently.

"Why?" I whispered, sniffling, and wrung the scarf out, the water red with the blood. It stank horribly, but as the green color came back the stench vanished.

I was able to get the blood off pretty good, but a few spots still remained. I laid the scarf out to dry and opened the door, silently walking down to the front room. From there I read the signs and found the operation room and stood at the open window, watching as they frantically tried to save Kitsune. _Man, why do they have to have glass as walls instead of actual walls?_

"I don't like to see or do things that make me hurt, and this is one of them. Why are you here?" I heard Haruka ask, and I turned to see her hair down and eyes red.

"I want to know if she can pull through this. If you don't like to see things that make you hurt, then why are you here?"

"I followed you; I saw you walking towards the operation room and followed you."

"Just go away," I mumbled and turned around, looking at Kitsune's soft face. I heard the footsteps vanish and watched the medics miserably.

Kankuro's POV

I punched Nara as hard as I could, feeling hatred well up, and walked back to the tower, trying to get myself together but failing miserably. When I entered the room Temari and Gaara were in there, watching out the window silently. Temari hugged me, sighing and letting me cry on her shoulder.

"I am so sorry, brother," She whispered, and I shook my head.

"We should have teamed up with them, like I suggested." I whispered, but Temari shook her head.

"Gaara…" She whispered back, barely audible.

"I'm tired of him," I whispered, and left the room in a fury. _If it wasn't for Gaara we could have possibly save her. I could have kept my promise! Kitsune, I am so sorry!_

Shikamaru's POV

After about an hour, they stopped and wheeled her out of the room and down the hall. I looked up at all the doctors, and one saw me and came over to me.

"Do you know her?" I nodded, and he sighed.


	5. Chapter 5

"She's alive for now, but comatose and on the edge. We tried everything and was able to stop the bleeding, but it's looking grim, son. It's basically just a matter of time until we lose her." I nodded and looked at the ground, my emotions gone at this point.

"Is she allowed visitors?" I asked blankly, and the doctor sighed.

"Since you stayed here ever since we started, yes. But, only you," I nodded and followed the doctor to a room, where he closed the door. I slowly approached Kitsune, her now pale body fragile and small looking in the bed, and felt my bones get heavy. I sat down at the chair next to the bed and grabbed her hand, shivering at how cold it was. I daringly took a glance at the wound to see it still there, all the way through. I resisted the urge to throw up as I pulled the covers back over it.

"Kitsune, come back… don't leave us," I whispered, and bit my lip at the silence that followed. "I admit it, okay? I wasn't crying for you because you were a friend… I like you…" I felt tears stream down again and stood up, anger making me move. "Damn it Kitsune, come back! You have everything to lose! Who cares about your dad? You have friends that are your family, people who like you, and an awesome talent, personality and looks!" I yelled, and let my face come within inches of hers. "Please…" I whispered and let my head fall onto hers, closing my eyes and letting the tears fall onto her face, making it look like she was crying too. Something made me press my mouth to hers, my lips gently working around her dead ones. I pulled away quickly and rubbed my eyes. "This is good bye, I guess, so… Good bye, Kitsune, you've been a great friend and crush. I've savored every moment we've had together even if it was a few days, and I'll remember it the rest of my life. I'm going to keep the scarf, okay? I promise I'll take good care of it," I whispered, and turned to see the doctor watching on in the window. I exited, closing the door behind me and thanking the doctor.

"She must mean a lot to you… I'm sorry,"

Kitsune's POV

I was alone in a dark pit, surrounded by nothing. I felt cold, so cold… longing for a fire or hug that would warm me up, but it never came. I fell to my butt and curled my knees up, sobbing from the feeling.

Please, let me go…

After what felt like days, nothing happened. My tears ran dry to leave me hollow, as bottomless as where I was. It was deathly quiet. But, like the whisper of the nonexistent wind a voice crept through, full of emotion. I felt the person's pain and sorrow, the empty feeling of loss, along with them as I listened. They were yelling at first for someone to come back, telling them what they have, but suddenly got quiet and replaced by sobbing. I finally felt something wet start to fall onto my face, and something warm touching my lips. It was gentle and sweet, giving me happiness for a moment longer before it vanished. The person started to say their final goodbyes, but their voice got closer and louder, making the darkness break and warmth spread through my limbs before pain broke through it. I felt myself suddenly in a bed, covered by sheets and painfully breathing. I opened my eyes and turned to see a familiar face with an apparent doctor, talking briefly.

"Shikamaru…" I rasped and blinked, watching him leave. The doctor then entered and looked at me, suddenly freezing. His mouth fell as far as it could go and his eyes widened.

"I-i-it's a miracle…" He whispered, and walked over to me. "Are you…"

"I feel horrible. No, I'm not okay," I interrupted him softly, and furrowed my eyebrows as how I got here started to come back to me. The doctor smiled.

"Welcome back," he said before exiting, returning with some medicine. "This will numb the pain, okay? No one knows your alive, not even your little savior friend, yet. I want you to take these and in about thirty minutes I'll notify them, okay?" I closed my eyes.

"I'd rather you tell them… now." I whispered, pausing as momentary pain flooded me again. the doctor nodded as I opened my eyes and helped me take the medicine before leaving. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the chaos that's bound to follow, and couldn't help but smile as a scream echoed through the building a few minutes later. Loud footsteps followed and Haruka and Riku burst in, their eyes wide and red, and broke down as they saw me.

Kankuro's POV

As soon as the doctor came out and called for the Nin that were close to Kitsune, my eyes clouded over with tears again. I got up and went over to him, but he waited for the rest of the Nin to show up. Haruka and Riku came, but some more Konoha Nin also showed up, among them Shikamaru. As the doctor paused, he looked into our eyes.

"You all look like you've been crying." He sighed, and then smiled. "She's awake. Go to room 1, she wants to see you."

"Kitsune!" Haruka yelled, and Riku and Haruka ran off. I followed closely, and glanced back to see the others following more slowly. I heard Riku yell Kitsune's name and slowed down to see them at her side.

"Sorry for worrying you," She whispered, smiling, and smiled wider as she added the next part. "And you're welcome for saving your butts," I chuckled, smiling softly.

"At least you're back to normal," I said, and Kitsune looked at me.

"You too?" She asked, and I took her hand and quickly kissed her forehead, blocking her view from the Konoha Nin and vice versa.

"I am so sorry I couldn't be there to help you… I betrayed my promise," I whispered, and she shook her head.

"You had no idea that was happening. Now, from here on out you're going to have to live up to that promise, though." She whispered, and I laughed as I sobbed quietly. _I'm glad she's back. _Riku and Haruka backed away as they became aware of the other Nin entering, and I reluctantly followed. They all smiled at her, and Sasuke's team came up.

"So, the brains ran out of things to do finally and sacrificed herself for her teammates," Sasuke mused, and Kitsune narrowed her eyes.

"Sasuke, cut her some slack! She ended up saving the day, you know!" Naruto said in his usually annoying voice, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Kitsune's POV

"This is Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, Rock Lee…" I nodded at the people that were being introduced to me by Naruto and slowly scooted myself up into a sitting position, the covers revealing a hole in my clothes and a scar on skin. I sighed, and realized Shikamaru had left. I bit my lip and looked down, wishing I would have been able to talk to him, but the doctor suddenly came in and gasped at the huge amount of people in a small room, ordering anyone that wasn't from my village out. Everyone filed back out and reluctantly left, leaving Haruka, Riku, and Kankuro in the room. Haruka's lip trembled right before she burst out in sobs again, Riku hugging her.

"Did I scare you guys that much?" I asked, and Riku nodded.

"You're our sister. We're family, you know." I smiled and leaned back.

"Sorry." I said, and Kankuro chuckled sourly.

"You know you died, right? Don't act like you don't know it hurt us!" He said, and hugged me. "Never. Do. That. Again." He said, and I nodded, hugging him back.

"I won't. Trust me, I didn't like it either." The doctor came back and ordered the rest of them out, claiming I needed sleep, and closed the door as he left, telling me to rest up. I lied back down and closed my eyes, smiling softly as the sheets covered me in warmth.

After a few minutes I heard the door creak open again, but kept my eyes closed as I heard the person walk up and put something down on the table. _Crap. Who is it? Maybe it's another doctor… if I pretend to be asleep would they go away?_

"What a drag… you've gotten yourself in a tight situation, Shikamaru," I heard Shikamaru mumble, and smiled. I opened my eyes to see him looking at me with a bored expression which turned into an embarrassed, blushing expression. He backed up a little.

"I caught you," I whispered, and glanced at the table to see a vase with a single gardenia in water, my scarf now stained slightly tied on in a bow. _How did he find a gardenia in this place? Wow. _

"What a drag…" He whispered again and I blinked, letting my smile vanish as memories crept up. My eyes trailed away.

"What happened when I died, right before I came back? I heard… someone, and…" I trailed off, and looked back at Shikamaru to see him slouching like usual.

"How am I supposed to know? I wasn't here. I bet it was puppet boy though," Shikamaru said, cocking his head. I shook my head and sat up, the covers slipping to show my scar. Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at my stomach a moment longer before shifting his weight and looking back up at me.

"The doctor busted you. He called you my 'little savior friend'. Also, I saw you outside the room when I woke up. Tell me the truth," I said, and let my arms wrap themselves over my stomach. Shikamaru blushed and looked away, keeping silent. I sighed and laid back down, suddenly tired. "Okay… I guess I'll use my very vivid imagination," I said and closed my eyes, trying to remember what I felt. "You came in after they announced me dead and yelled at me, then cried, and said your goodbyes. Then you did something else, probably kissing me by how it felt." I kept my eyes closed and raised my eyebrows as I said this. Shikamaru made an objective noise and sighed. I peeked at him to see him looking at the flower with a wicked blush but closed my eyes again, letting him think I didn't see this. "I'm right."

"I never said anything to tell you that you were right!"

"But you never denied it," I said, and Shikamaru sighed.

"I didn't do anything like that. I just said a few words and left." He said, his voice suddenly sad. "What makes you imagine all of that, anyways?"

"I was in a dark, cold place full of nothing and alone. After a while I heard a voice yelling, and then felt my face get wet. Then the voice was back, but softer, and saying goodbye. Then I felt someone kiss me. I should know, it was the only thing that was warm when I was dead." I whispered, and mumbling followed. I heard him shift again, and bit my lip. "You looked at my scar weirdly. Why?"

"It wasn't healed when I came in… I looked from curiosity and almost threw up because of the sight." He mumbled reluctantly, and I smiled for a second, victorious.

"Wait, it wasn't healed? How could it heal in seconds?" I asked, and opened my eyes. Shikamaru shook his head, shrugging. I yawned and closed my eyes again and heard Shikamaru start to leave, but opened my eyes quickly.

"Shikamaru!" I called, and he stopped and turned his head slightly.

"Hmm?" I hesitated.

"I-well, thank you," I said finally, and he tilted his head. I closed my eyes again, yawning again involunarily.

"For what?"

"For everything… I've had a good time in Konoha." I said, and opened my left eye to see him smiling.

"I've had a good time too," He said before leaving, a slight blush still visible. I closed my eyes, suddenly conflicted. _Why do I feel like this to Shikamaru? I've been Kankuro's best friend for so long and wanted him to like me back. Why is Shikamaru suddenly overruling Kankuro? _I thought, and sighed as I let sleep take over.

When I woke up again, the doctor was poking me awake.

"You can go now. I think they're going to call everyone that passed together and let them go. One of your teammates, Haruka I think, left this for you," He held up a folded purple tank top, and I took it. He left, letting me draw the curtains and change quickly into the tank top and told myself to thank Haruka as I took the scarf and left.

As we were able to go, we got word there would be preliminaries the next day. Haruka and Riku caught up with me and hugged me hard, smiling, and we went back and into the village. Wishina-Sensei caught up with us and hugged me, sighing.

"I heard what had happened. Oh, I am so sorry," She whispered, and squatted down so she was face to face with us. "You're going to be going against people in preliminaries. It'll be random, but you won't be fighting against each other I don't think. Are you guys okay with that, or do you want to train?" We looked at each other and shook our heads.

"I think we're fine, honestly…" Wishina nodded and stood.

"Then let's go get something to eat. It's all on me!" She said, and we cheered.

"Yeah, free food!" Haruka said, and Riku giggled.

"What are we going to get?" I asked.

"I think you guys deserve some candy," She said, and Riku cheered this time.

"Junk food! Yes, finally!" She said, jumping up in the air. As we walked away people waved at us and I was struck again by how nice the people were.

You just don't come across people like that in Suna, and if you do it's a rare thing.

Shikamaru's POV

"Yeah, free food!" I heard a familiar voice yell, and laughs following. I quickly fell into an alley and peeked out from behind the building to see Kitsune and her team, laughing with an adult that must be their sensei.

"I think you deserve some candy," Wishina said, and Riku jumped into the air, smiling widely.

"Junk food! Yes, finally!" She yelled, and I smiled as everyone laughed. They took off and I followed them on the rooftops, making sure I was hidden.

After a second Wishina suddenly whipped around and threw a kunai my way, making me jump down. I felt the kunai brush my hair and made a small, surprised noise. _She's good._ I quickly jumped down and let myself get lost in the crowded streets, watching as Wishina and her team jumped up and scanned the area. I quickly turned into and alley and vanished in the shadows as they looked around. Finally, they gave up and went back to the streets, walking in silence.

Kitsune's POV

As I watched the preliminaries, I kept an eye open for people to look out for and took mental notes on the fighting styles of the people who passed. Sasuke was still a mystery since he used Taijutsu, but it seemed like something else was going on besides just the fight; it seemed like Sasuke was hurt. He won though, and the board chose Kankuro to go next. He quickly won after switching places with the Crow, and then Ino and Sakura went against each other in a heated girly fight that seemed to have a lot of background. They both lost in a tie, though, and then Temari went against a girl named Tenten that summoned weapons.

I saw with a smile Shikamaru putting his head on the railing as he realized we won another round again, and Temari opened her full three moons and finished Tenten. Temari showed her ruthless side and threw Tenten's unconscious body, but a guy quickly grabbed her and started to attack, but they were both called back.

Shikamaru was next against a Sound village ninja, and I leaned against the rail with interest. Shikamaru started up lazily, looking at the girl like he didn't want to fight, and hoped he wouldn't be lazy enough to give up. He didn't, though, surprising me, and used a shadow jutsu of some sort before getting out in a quick shave after he fell into a Genjutsu by catching her in a shadow connected to her wire. The girl started to copy his moves immediately.

"So, that's how he works… a jutsu that captures the enemy." I mused, and I saw Riku look at me in the corner of my eye. "We need to be careful of him," I said as he suddenly got a shuriken out of his holster and threw it, dodging the one the Sound ninja threw. The Sound ninja did the same, but hit her head on the wall and fell unconscious. They took her away as the board lit up again. It took longer than usual, though, and when the board finally stopped... Riku was called up with Haruka. I let my jaw drop in utter shock.

"Whoa, hang on a second there! Can they do that, put people on the same team against each other?" I asked, and watched as my teammates went down and faced each other with increasing nervousness. "Wishina-Sensei, come on!" I said, and turned back to her. She nodded, and I bit my lip as I stood straight. _Riku and Haruka are both equal in skill and know all of each other's moves... this is going to count on trick cards and creativity._

"That's horrible!" I heard a voice say, and turned back to see the annoying Naruto kid looking down. "They have to go against each other? Come on, don't do that! Gecko person, proctor, come on!"


End file.
